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^^ MEDEA, 

TRAGEDY OyF SENECA. 



EDITED 

By CHARLES BECK, 

PROFESSOR OF LATIN IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 



CAMBRIDGE 

AND 

BOSTON : 

JAMES MUNROE & CO., 

BOOKSELLERS TO THE UNIVERSITY. 

1834. 






f^^^-^ 



Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1834, by James 
MuNROE & Co., in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the 
District of Massachusetts. 



CAMBRIDGE: 

CHARLES FOIiSOM, 

Printer to the University. 



PREFACE, 



The principal object of the Editor in prepar- 
ing the Medea of Seneca has been to introduce 
younger students to a branch of Latin poetry, 
of which they generally know but little. He 
considers it an important point in the manage- 
ment of classical studies to arrange the course 
of reading so that the scholar, after having ac- 
quired a competent knowledge of the language 
as it exists in the best prose-writers, niay, so far 
as time and circumstances allow, become prac- 
tically acquainted with the extent and charac- 
ter of its literature, and form for himself a mod- 
est, but an independent and thorough opinion 
of the individual authors. Other branches 
of Latin poetry are, in the common course of 
our Colleges, well provided for, especially the 
epic and lyric ; but the drama is almost en- 
tirely neglected, although the works of Plautus 
and Terence contain many of the choicest 
productions of the language, and the collection 
of tragedies, which generally goes by the name 



IV PREFACE. 

of Seneca, includes, to say the least, some very 
respectable performances. 

Independently of the merit or demerit of these 
tragedies, the circumstance of their being the 
only complete specimens which enable us to 
ascertain, in what manner and with what modi- 
fications and success the Romans transferred 
the tragic muse to their clime, may justly ex- 
cite some interest in them. A comparison of the 
principal Greek tragic poets on the one hand, 
and Seneca on the other, will, it is believed, 
convince every one, that there is not so broad 
and deep a chasm between them as is common- 
ly supposed — all perfection on one side, and 
failure on the other, — but that there is in the 
three tragic poets of Greece a developement 
perceptible, succeeded by a decline of which 
the best tragedies of Seneca are but a contin- 
uation, and by no means a distant one. 

This may be shown with regard to various 
points ; for the purpose of illustration, one only 
will be mentioned here. It is well known, and 
is founded in the nature and origin of tragedy, 
that, in the works of the earlier poets, of the 
two principal elements of tragedy, the epic and 
lyric, the latter decidedly predominated. Tra- 



PREFACE. 



gedy reached, in this respect as in many others, 
its perfection in Sophocles, who not only pre- 
serves the due proportion of these two parts, 
but unites them so intimately that one cannot 
be thought of without the other. How differ- 
ent is this in Euripides ; how does the element 
of action predominate, and how loosely are the 
choruses connected with the plot. If we look 
at the Medea of Seneca, we shall find the 
former defect, the subordinate rank which the 
chorus or the lyric element holds in comparison 
with the attention and care bestowed upon the 
plot ; but we shall also see that the Medea is free 
from the other fault, the choruses being much 
more naturally and closely connected with the 
whole, than is the case in many plays of Eu- 
ripides. 

In presenting this view of the relative worth 
of Greek and Latin tragedy, the Editor does not 
intend to undertake a vindication of the Medea, 
still less of any other of the ten tragedies, which 
have been preserved to us ; his only wish is to 
avoid the injustice of unmerited censure, as 
well as the folly of extravagant praise. Few 
works of antiquity have experienced these two 
extremes of criticism more severely than these 



VI PREFACE.' 

tragedies. Of late, especially since the labors of 
A. W. Schlegel, the more unfavorable opinion 
of these specimens of Roman tragedy seems to 
have gained the ascendency. The Editor must 
confess, that he could never read the opinion of 
this distinguished critic, — it is in the eighth of 
his Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature, 
— without being struck by its superficialness, 
and feeling a suspicion, that it was founded upon 
a very slight personal acquaintance with the 
productions in question, if not altogether upon 
the statements and assertions of others. More- 
over, the point of view which Schlegel takes, is 
a very peculiar one ; he is surveying the whole 
field of the drama, both classical and modern, 
and analyzing with admirable acuteness the 
dramatic literature of the different nations, 
pointing out, in particular, the close connexion 
between the drama and national character; 
thus these few tragedies, the least national of 
all Roman works, dwindle in his view into an 
insignificance which, from the extent and na- 
ture of his examination, will appear quite 
natural. 

In earlier times, many critics were as liberal 
of their praise as others of their censure. It 



PREFACE. Vll 

would be worse than useless to quote the ex- 
travagances of men who, like Jul. Caes. Scal- 
iger, did not scruple to consider these tragedies 
equal, and even superior^ to the masterpieces 
of Sophocles and Euripides. Their commen- 
dation proceeds, in most instances, from a 
bad taste and an ignorance of the true na- 
ture of poetry and tragedy, which are indeed 
starthng. But the circumstance of its being 
found in so bad company ought not to preju- 
dice us against the opinion of such men as Lip- 
sius and Lessing, the former of whom is here 
mentioned, not so much for his stupendous 
learning, as his nice tact in penetrating and 
seizing the peculiarities of writers and of the 
language itself at different periods ; it is readily 
confessed, that his opinion as to the different 
authors whose productions are collected under 
the name of Seneca, is of great weight, al- 
though it is not to be adopted without some 
qualification. Lessing, a scholar of very ex- 
tensive acquirements and a critic of remark- 
ably good taste, although he was by no means 
blind to the defects of many of these tragedies, 
did justice to their merits, and thought it worth 
his while to subject them to a careful examina- 



Vlll PREFACE. 

tion, abounding in learning and ingenious rea- 
soning, as far as it went ; but he never com- 
pleted it. 

In the course of these remarks, allusion has 
several times been made to the opinion, that 
these ten tragedies are the productions of seve- 
ral authors. Even a moderate knowledge of 
the language and a superficial perusal of the 
plays will suggest this view, and a more care- 
ful investigation will tend to confirm and re- 
duce it into a more definite shape. To do this, 
however, lies beyond the limits of the present 
undertaking. The Editor would only observe, 
that he knows of no Latin writings which afford 
so suitable materials for exercising the critical 
skill of young scholars ; the questions, How 
many different authors can be traced ? How 
many and which of the tragedies are to be 
attributed to each ? have been frequently dis- 
cussed, but are not yet settled. 

The Medea is the only one of these tragedies 
which, upon the ground of a direct testimony, 
can be attributed to Seneca ; this testimony is a 
passage in Quintilian ix, 2, 8 : " Interrogamus 

aut invidiae causa, ut Medea apud 

Senecam : 

duas peti terras jubes ? " 



PREFACE. IX 

Besides the advantage of being unquestion- 
ably the production of a man whose works, 
although not free from glaring defects, will 
always hold a distinguished place in Latin 
literature on account of both their matter and 
manner, this tragedy has other claims to at- 
tention. The subject is the feelings and re- 
venge of an injured woman, and the plot con- 
trived to illustrate this subject, however simple, 
is complete and constitutes a whole. Of the 
characters of the play, that of Medea is, of 
course, the most important and conspicuous ;. 
and it is unfolded in the most natural and beau- 
tiful manner. Medea is a high-minded woman, 
but irresistibly swayed by her passions. After 
having sacrificed every thing that is dear to a 
human beings power, wealth, her kindred and 
native country, to save and be united to the 
man of her first and only love, she sees her- 
self now on the point of being abandoned in a 
foreign country, among people who look upon 
her with suspicion and horror, by her husband,, 
the father of her children, for whom she had 
made that sacrifice, and who from mean and 
calculating selfishness is capable of purchasing 
personal security at the expense of the happi- 



X PREFACE. 

ness, if not safety, of his faithful wife. At 
first she is not able to believe it possible that 
Jason could desert her, and, even when she 
cannot doubt any longer, her conjugal affection 
is inventive and ingenious to excuse the con- 
duct of her husband. But when she learns 
from his own lips his determination, uttered too 
with cold indifference, a complete change of 
her feelings takes place. Her love gives way 
to the most intense hatred, and her ingenuity, 
a short time before active in paUiating the con- 
duct of her husband, is now wholly engrossed 
with the suggestion and execution of her ven- 
geance, the means of which occur to her mind 
by degrees and as it were accidentally. When 
the passing thought and mention of her chil- 
dren suggest a new resource for punishing the 
infidelity of Jason, a painful struggle commen- 
ces between the affection of the mother and 
the resentment of the injured wife. 

The character of Jason was not an easy one ; 
the important object was to form it so as to 
serve, by its greater calmness, as a foil to the 
vehemence of Medea, without being tame or 
destitute of interest. Seneca has, perhaps, 
failed in the latter respect, at least in the 



PREFACi:. ^1 

earlier part of the play ; and the perusal of 
the tragedy, especially of the scene between 
Medea and Jason, reminds one of the chilling 
insensibihty of the hero in Madame de StaeFs 
Corinne, Yet this defect does not vitiate the 
whole character ; for there are redeeming fea- 
tures in it, calculated to interest us strongly, as 
the expression of his paternal affection in 
refusing to part with his children, which in 
fact suggests to Medea her horrible revenge : 

MEDEA. 

Contemnere animus regias, ut scis, opes 540 
Potest soletque : liberos tantum fugae 
Habere comites liceat, in quorum sinu 
Lacrimas profundam. Te novi nati manent. 

lASON. 

Parere precibus cupere me fateor tuis ; 
Pietas vetat : namque, istud ut possim pati, 545 
Non ipse memet cogat et rex et socer. 
Haec causa vitae est : hoc perusti pectoris 
Curis levamen. Spiritu citius queam 
Carere, membris, luce. 

MEDEA. 

Sic natos am at ? 
Bene est : tenetur. Vulneri patuit locus. sso 

The remaining characters, including Cleon, 
are subordinate, but in keeping ; the scene be- 
tween Cleon and Medea is important, because 



Xll PREFACE. 



it is the hinge of the whole plot ; Cleon, yield- 
ing to the importunate entreaties to which 
Medea with feigned hunriihty condescends, 
renders the execution of her revenge possible. 
As to the language, it may be sufficient to 
mention its purity, and its freedom from those 
indications of degeneracy by which the works 
of almost all the contemporaries of Seneca, 
and some of his own, are marred. The style 
is simpler than that of most of the other tra- 
gedies ; the dialogue in particular is not ren- 
dered affected and unnatural by the constant 
interchange of sententious remarks, which is 
a very striking defect of the Thyestes and the 
Troades, rich storehouses, indeed, of apo- 
thegms and mottos for those who are fond of 
garnishing their discourse with scraps of Latin 
and Greek. 

With regard to the text, it follows the edi- 
tion of J. F. Gronovius, based upon the manu- 
script which he found in the Florentine library, 
undoubtedly the best, although not perfect. The 
Editor cannot but remark how severely he has 
felt, in the course of his labor, the want of mod- 
ern editions, among which he would mention 
that of F. H. Bothe, 1819, and that of Levee 
and Duval, 1823. 

Cambridge, July 4, 1834. 



MEDEA. 



DRAMATIS PERSON iE, 

Medea. 

Iason. 

Creon. 

NUTRIX. 

Chorus Corinthiorum. 

NUNTIUS. 



MEDEA. 



ACTUS I. 

Medea. 

Di conjugales ! tuque, genialis tori 

Lucina custos ! quaeque domitorem freti 

Tiphyn novam frenare docuisti ratem ! 

Et tu, profundi saeve dominator maris ! 

Clarumque Titan dividens orbi diem ! 5 

Tacitisque preebens consciura sacris jubar 

Hecate triformis ! quosque juravit mihi 

Deos lason ! quosque Medeae magis 

Fas est precari, Noctis seter^ias chaos, 

Aversa Superis regna, Manesque impios, lo 

Dominumque regni tristis, et dominam fide 

Meliore raptam ! voce non fausta precor : 

Adeste, adeste, sceleris uitrices Dese ! 

Crinem soiutis squalidee serpentibus, 

Atram cruentis manibus amplexae facem, is 

Adeste : thalamis horridge quondam meis 

Quales stetistis. Conjugi letum novae, 

Letumque socero et regiae stirpi date. 

Mihi pejus aliquid, quod precer sponso malum : 

Vivat : per urbes erret ignotas egens, 20 

Exsul, pavens, invisus, incerti laris : 

Me conjugem optet ; limen alienum expetat, 

Jam notus hospes : quoque^ non aliud queam 



4 MEDEA. I. 24. 

Pejus precari, liberos similes patri, 

Similesque matri. Parta jam, parta ultio est : 2§ 

Peperi. Querelas, verbaque incassum sero. 

Non ibo in hostes ? manibus excutiam faces, 

Coeloque lucem ? Spectat hoc nostri sator 

Sol generis ! et spectatur ; et curru insidens 

Per solita puri spatia decurrit poli ! so 

Non redit in ortus, et remetitur diem ! 

Da, da per auras curribus patriis vehi ; 

Committe habenas, genitor, et flagrantibus 

Ignifera loris tribue moderari juga : 

Gemino Corinthos litori opponens moras 35 

Cremata flammis maria committet duo. 

Hoc restat unum, pronubam thalamo feram 

Ut ipsa pinum ; postque sacrificas preces 

Caedam dicatis victimas altaribus. 

Per viscera ipsa quaere supplicio viam, 40 

Si vivis, anime : si quid antiqui tibi 

Remanet vigoris, pelle femineos metus, 

Et inhospitalem Caucasum mente indue. 

duodcunque vidit Phasis aut Pontus nefas, 

Videbit Isthmos. EfFera, ignota, horrida, 45 

Tremenda ccelo pariter ac terris mala 

Mens intus agitat ; vulnera, et caedem, et vagum 

Funus per artus. Levia memoravi nimis : 

Hasc virgo feci : gravior exsurgat dolor. 

Majora jam me scelera post partus decent. so 

Accingere ira, teque in exitium para 

Furore toto : paria narrentur tua 

Repudia thalamis. duo virum linquis modo ? 

Hoc, quo secuta es. Rumpe jam segues moras : 

Quae scelere parta est, scelere linquenda est domus. 

V. 55. QuoB scelere 'pacta est, scelere rumpetur fides. 
Cod. Lips. 



MEDEA, I. 56. 



Chorus. 



Ad regum thalamos numine prospero, 66 

Qui coelum Superi, quique regunt fretum, 

Adsint cum populis rite faventibus. 

Primus sceptriferis colla Tonantibus 

Taurus celsa ferat tergore candido. 60 

Lucinam nivei femina corporis 

Intentata jugo placet : et, asperi 

Martis sanguineas quae cohibet manus, 

duae dat belligeris foedera gentibus, 

Et cornu retinet divite copiam, 65 

Donetur tenera mitior hostia. 

Et tu, qui facibus legitimis ades, 

Noctem discutiens auspice dextera, 

Hue incede gradu marcidus ebrio, 

Praecingens roseo tempora vinculo. 70 

Et tu, quae gemini prasvia temporis 

Tarde Stella redis semper amantibus : 

Te matres avidae, te cupiunt nurus, 

duamprimum radios spargere lucidos. 

Vincit virgineus decor 75 

Longe Cecropias nurus : 
Et quas Taygeti jugis 
Exercet juvenum modo, 
Muris quod caret, oppidum ; 
Et quas Aonius latex, so 

Alpheosque sacer lavat. 
Si forma velit adspici, 
Cedent iEsonio duci 
Proles fulminis improbi, 
Aptat qui juga tigribus ; 
Necnon qui tripodas movet, 
Frater virginis asperae. 
1* 



6 MEDEA. I. 88. 

Cedet Castore cum suo 

Pollux csestibus aptior. 

Sic, sic, Coelicolse, precor, 90 

Vincat femina conjuges, 

Vir longe superet viros. 

Haec cura femineo constitit in choro, 
Unius facies prsenitet omnibus. 
Sic cum sole perit sidereus decor, 95 

Et densi latitant Pleiadum greges, 
Cum Phoebe solidum lumine non suo 
Orbem circuitis cornibus alligat. 
Ostro sic niveus puniceo color 
Perfusus rubuit : sic nitidum jubar 100 

Pastor luce nova roscidus adspicit. 
Ereptus thalamis Phasidos horridis, 
EfFrense solitus pectora conjugis 
Invita trepidus prendere dextera, 
Felix ^oliam corripe virginem 105 

Nunc primum soceris, sponse, volentibus. 
Concesso, juvenes, ludite jurgio. 
Hinc illinc, juvenes, mittite carmina. 
Rara est in dominos justa licentia. 

Candida thyrsigeri proles generosa Lyaei, 110 
Multifidam jam tempus erat succendere pinum : 
Excute solemnem digitis marcentibus ignem. 
Festa dicax fundat convicia Fescenninus : 
Solvat turba jocos. Tacitis eat ilia tenebris, 
Si qua peregrino nubit fugitiva marito. 115 



V. 92. Yir longe ut superat vivos. Conj. Lips. 
V. 95. Sic cum sole perit sideribus decor. 



MEDEA. II. 116. 7 

ACTUS II. 

Medea. Nutrix. 

MEDEA. 

Occidimus ! aures pepulit Hymen aeus meas ! 
Vix ipsa tantum, vix adhuc, credo malum. 
Haec facere lason potuit ? erepto patre, 
Patria atque regno, sedibus solam exteris 
Deserere ? Durus merita contemsit mea, 120 

Qui scelere flammas viderat vinci et mare ? 
Adeone credit omne consumtum nefas ? 
Incerta, vecors, mente vesana feror 
Partes in omnes, unde me ulcisci queam. 
Utinam esset illi frater ! Est conjux : in banc 125 
Ferrum exigatur. Hoc meis satis est malis? 
Si quod Pelasgse, si quod urbes barbarse 
Novere facinus, quod tuae ignorant manus, 
Nunc est parandum : scelera te hortentur tua ; 
Et cuncta redeant. Inclitum regni decus i30 

Raptum ; et nefandse virginis parvus comes 
Divisus ense, funus ingestum patri ; 
Sparsumque ponto corpus ; et Peliae senis 
Decocta aheno membra. Funestum impie 
duam saepe fudi sanguinem ! at nullum scelus 135 
Irata feci : seevit infelix amor. 
Quid tamen lason potuit, alieni arbitri 
Jurisque factus 1 Debuit ferro obvium 
OfFerre pectus. Melius, ah ! melius, dolor 
Furiose, loquere. Si potest, vivat mens, 140 

Ut fuit, lason ; sin minus, vivat tamen, 

V. 132. funus incertum. Lips. funus incestum. All. 



8 MEDEA. II. 142. 

Memorque nostri muneri parcat meo. 
Culpa est Creontis tota, qui sceptro impotens 
Conjugia solvit ; quique genitricem abstrahit 
Natis ; et arcto pignore adstrictam fidem 145 

Dirimit. Petatur solus hie ; poenas luat, 
duas debet. Alto cinere cumulabo domum : 
Videbit atrum vorticem flammis agi 
Malea longas navibus flectens moras. 

NUTRIX. 

Sile, obsecro ; questusque secreto abditos 150 

Manda dolori. Gravia quisquis vulnera 
Patiente et aequo mutus animo pertulit, 
Referre potuit. Ira, quae tegitur, nocet : 
Professa perdunt odia vindictae locum. 

MEDEA. 

Levis est dolor, qui capere consilium potest, iss 
Et clepere sese : magna non latitant mala. 
Libet ire contra. 

NUTRIX. 

Siste furialem impetum, 
Alumna ! Vix te tacita defendit quies. 

MEDEA. 

Fortuna fortes metuit, ignavos premit. 

NUTRIX. 

Tunc est probanda, si locum virtus habet. i60 

MEDEA. 

Nunquam potest non esse virtuti locus. 

NUTRIX. 

Spes nulla monstrat rebus afflictis viam. 

MEDEA. 

Qui nil potest sperare, desperet nihil. 

NUTRIX. 

Abiere Colchi : conjugis nulla est fides ; 

V. 152. et sequo immotus animo. Conj. Lips. sequo 
motus animo. All. 



MEDEA. II. 165. 9 

Nihilque superest opibus e tantis tibi. les 

MEDEA. 

Medea superest : hie raare et terras vides, 
Ferrumque et ignes et Deos et fulmina. 

NUTRIX. 

Rex est timendus. 

MEDEA. 

Rex meus fuerat pater. 

NUTRIX. 

Non metuis arm a ? 

MEDEA. 

Sint licet terra edita. 

NUTRIX. 

Moriere. 

MEDEA. 

Cupio. 

NUTRIX. 

Profuge. 

MEDEA. 

Poenituit fugae no 
Medea fugiam ? 

NUTRIX. 

Mater es. 

MEDEA. 

Cui sim, vides. 

NUTRIX. 

Profugere dubitas ? 

MEDEA. 

Fugiam : at ulciscar prius. 

NUTRIX. 

Vindex sequetur. 

MEDEA. 

Forsan inveniam moras. 

NUTRIX. 

Compesce verba ; parce jam demens minis, 



10 MEDEA. IL 175. 

Animosque minue. Tempori aptari decet. ns 

MEDEA. 

Fortuna opes auferre, non animum, potest. — 

Sed cujus ictu regius cardo strepit ? 
Ipse est Pelasgo tumidus imperio Creon. 



Creon. Medea. 

CREON. 

Medea, Colchi noxium Metdd genus, 
Nondum meis exportat e regnis pedem ? iso 

Molitur aliquid : nota fraus, nota est manus. 
Cui parcit ilia ? qiiemve securum sinit ? 
Abolere propere pessimam ferro luem 
Equidem parabam : precibus evicit gener ; 
Concessa vita est. Liberet fines metu ; 185 

Abeatque tuta. — Fertgradum contra ferox, 
Minaxque nostros propius afFatus petit. 
Arcete, famuli, tactu et accessu procul. 
Jubete, sileat. Regium imperium pati 
Aliquando discat. Vade veloci via ; 190 

Monstrumque saevum, horribile, jamdudumavehe. 

MEDEA. 

Cluod crimen, aut quae culpa multatur fuga ? 

CREON. 

Quae causa pellat, innocens mulier rogat. 

MEDEA. 

Si judicas, cognosce : si regnas, jube. 

CREON. 

iEquum atque iniquum regis imperium feras. 195 

MEDEA. 

Iniqua nunquam regna perpetuo manent. 

CREON. 

I, querere Colchis. 



MEDEA. II. 197. H 

MEDEA. 

Redeo : qui advexit, ferat. 

CREON. 

Vox constitute sera decreto venit. 

MEDEA. 

Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera, 
iEquum licet statuerit, baud sequus fuit. 200 

CREON. 

Auditus a te Pelia supplicium tulit. 
Sed fare : causae detur egregise locus. 

MEDEA. 

Difficile quam sit animum ab ira flectere 
Jam concitatum, quamque regale boc putet, 
Sceptris superbas quisquis admovit manus, 205 
dua cepit, ire, regia didici mea. 
Q/Uamvis enim sini clade miseranda obruta, 
Expulsa, supplex, sola, deserta, undique 
Afflicta ; quondam nobili fulsi patre, 
Avoque clarum Sole deduxi genus. 210 

Quodcunque placidis flexibus Pbasis rigat, 
Pontusque quidquid Scytbicus a tergo videt, 
Palustribus qua maria dulcescunt aquis, 
Armata peltis quidquid exterret cobors 
Inclusa ripis vidua Tbermodontiis, 215 

Hoc omne noster genitor imperio regit. 
Generosa, felix, decore regali potens 
Fulsi. Petebant tunc meos tbalamos proci, 
Clui nunc petuntur. Rapida Fortuna ac levis, 
Praecepsque regno eripuit, exsilio dedit. 220 

Confide regnis, cum levis magnas opes 
Hue ferat et illuc casus. Hoc reges babent 
Magnificum et ingens, nulla quod rapiat dies, 
Prodesse miseris, supplices fido lare 

V. 214. quidquid exercet cohors. Cod. Lips. 



12 MEDEA. II. 225. 

Protegere. Solum hoc Colchico regno extuli ; 225 
Decus illud ingens, Graecios florem inclitum, 
Praesidia Achivse gentis, et prolem Deum 
Servasse memet. Munus est Orpheus meum, 
Qui saxa cantu mulcet, et silvas trahit ; 
Geminumque munus Castor et Pollux meum est ; 
Satique Borea; quique trans Pontum quoque 231 
Submota Lynceus lumine immisso videt ; 
Omnesque Minyae : nam ducum taceo ducem, 
Pro quo nihil debetur. Hunc nulli imputo. 
Vobis revexi cseteros, unum mihi. 235 

Incesse nunc, et cuncta flagitia ingere ; 
Fatebor : obici crimen hoc solum potest, 
Argo reversa. Virgini placeat pudor, . 
.Paterque placeat ; tota cum ducibus ruet 
Pelasga tellus. Hie tuus primum gener 240 

Tauri ferocis ore flammanti occidet. 
Fortuna causam, qua volet, nostram premat ; 
Non poenitet servasse tot regum decus. 
duodcunque culpa prsemium ex omni tuli, 
Hoc est penes te. Si placet, damna ream : 245 
Sed redde crimen. Sum nocens, fateor, Creo. 
Talem sciebas esse, cum genua attigi, 
Fidemque supplex praesidis dextrae peti. 
Terra hac miseriis angulum et sedem rogo, 
Latebrasque viles. Urbe si pelli placet, 250 

Detur remotus aliquis in regnis locus. 

CREON. 

Non esse me, qui sceptra violenter geram, 
Nee qui superbo miserias calcem pede, 
Testatus equidem videor haud clare parum 
Generum exsulem legendo, et afflictum, et gravi 

V. 236. cuncta j^amma ; cuncta fulmina. Conj. Lips, 
cuncta crirnina. 



MEDEA. 11. 256. 13 

Terrore pavidum. Quippe te poense expetit 256 
Letoque Acastus regna Thessalica obtinens. 
Senio trementem debili atque eevo gravem 
Patrem peremtum queritar, et cassi senis 
Discissa membra ; cum dolo captse tuo 260 

Pise sorores impium auderent nefas. 
Potest lason, si tuam causam amoves, 
Suam tueri. Nullus innocuum cruor 
Contaminavit : abfuit ferro manus ; 
Proculque vestro purus a coetu stetit. 26§ 

Tu, tu malorum machinatrix facinorum, 
Cui feminea nequitia, ad audendum omnia 
Virile robur, nulla famae memoria est,\ 
Egredere : purga regna ; letales simul 
Tecum aufer herbas. Libera cives metu : 270 
Alia sedens tellure sollicita Deos. 

MEDEA. 

Profugere cogis ? redde fugienti ratem, 

Vel redde comitem. Fugere cur solam jubes? 

Non sola veni. Bella si metuis pati, 

Utrumque regno pelle. Cur sontes duos 275 

Distinguis? illi Pelia, non nobis jacet. 

Fugam rapinasque adice ; desertum patrem, 

Lacerumque fratrem. Quidquid etiamnum novas 

Docet maritus conjuges, non est meum. 

Toties nocens sum facta, sed nunquam mihi. Qso 

CREON. 

Jam exisse decuit : quid seris fando moras ? 

MEDEA. 

Supplex recedens illud extremum precor, 
Ne culpa natos matris insontes trahat. 

CREON. 

Vade : hos paterno, ut genitor, excipiam sinu. 

MEDEA. 

Per ego auspicatos regii thalami toros, 285 

2 



14 MEDEA. II. 286. 

Per spes futuras, perque regnorum status, 
Fortuna varia dubia quos agitat vice, 
Precor, brevem largire fugienti moram, 
Dum extrema natis mater infigo oscula, 
Fortasse moriens. 

CREON. 

Fraudibus tempus petis. 290 

MEDEA. 

duee fraus timeri tempore exiguo potest 1 

CREON. 

Nullum ad nocendum tempus angustum est malis. 

MEDEA. 

Parumne miserse temporis lacrymis negas ? 

CREON. 

Etsi repugnat precibus infixus timer, 

Unus parando dabitur exsilio dies. 295 

MEDEA. 

Nimis est ; recidas aliquid ex isto licet. 
Et ipsa propero. 

CREON. 

Capite supplicium lues, 
Clarus priusquam Phoebus attollat diem. 
Nisi cedis Isthmo. — Sacra me thalami vocant ; 
Vocat precari festus Hymenaeo dies. 300 

Chorus. 

Audax nimium, qui freta primus 

Rate tarn fragili perfida rupit ; 

Terrasque suas post terga videns 

Animam levibus credidit auris ; 

Dubioque secans aequora cursu 305 

Potuit tenui fidere ligno. 

Inter vitae mortisque vias 



MEDEA. IT. 308. 15 

Nimium gracili limite ducto. 

Nondum quisquam sidera norat ; 

Stellisque, quibus pingitur aether, 310 

Non erat usus : nondum pluvias 

Hyadas poterant vitare rates, 

Non Oleniae sidera capras, 

Non quse sequitur flectitque senex 

Arctica tardus plaustra Bootes : 315 

Nondum Boreas, nondum Zephyrus 

Noraen habebant. 

Ausus Tiphys pandere vasto 

Carbasa ponto, legesque novas 

Scribere ventis ; nunc lina sinu 320 

Tendere toto ; nunc prolato 

Pede transversos captare Notes ; 

Nunc antennas medio tutas 

Ponere malo : nunc in sumrao 

Religare loco, cum jam totos 325 

Avidus nimium navita flatus 

Optat, et alto rubicunda tremunt 

Suppara velo. 

Candida nostri saecula patres 

Videre, procul fraude remota. 330 

Sua quisque piger litora tangens, 

Patrioque senex factus in arvo, 

Parvo dives, nisi quas tulerat 

Natale solum, non norat opes. 

Bene dissepti foedera mundi 335 

Traxit in unum Thessala pinus ; 

Jussitque pati verbera pontum, 

Partemque metus fieri nostri 

Mare sepositum. Dedit ilia graves 

Improba poenas per tam longos 340 

Ducta timores ; cum duo montes, 

Claustra profundi, hinc atque illinc 



16 MEDEA. II. 343. 

Subito impulsu velut sethereo 

Gemerent sonitu ; spargeret astra 

Nubesque ipsas mare deprensum. 345 

Palluit audax Tiphys, et omnes 

Labente manu misit habenas : 

Orpheus tacuit torpente lyra ; 

Ipsaque vocem perdidit Argo. 

Quid ? cum Siculi virgo Pelori, 350 

Rabidos utero succincta canes, 

Omnes pariter solvit hiatus, 

Quis non lotos horruit artus 

Toties uno latrante malo ? 

Quid ? cum Ausonium diras pestes 355 

Voce canora mare mulcerent ; 

Cum Pieria resonans cithara 

Thracius Orpheus solitam cantu 

Retinere rates psene coegit 

Sirena sequi? quod fuit hujus 360 

Pretium cursus ? aurea pellis, 

Majusque raari Medea malum ; 

Merces prima digna carina. 

Nunc jam cessit pontus, et omnes ' 

Patitur leges. Non Palladia 365 

Compacta manu regum referens 

Inclita remos quaeritur Argo. 

Q-uselibet altum cymba pererrat : 

Terminus omnis motus, et urbes 

Muros terra posuere nova. 370 

Nil, qua fuerat sede, reliquit 

Pervius orbis. 

Indus gelidum potat Araxen : 



V. 844. pergeret astra. Cod. Lips. 
V. 345. mare depressum. Cod. Lips. 
V. 354. imo latrante malo. 



MEDEA. II. 374. 17 

Albim PerssB Rhenumque bibunt, 

Venient annis saecula seris, 375 

Quibus Oceanus vincula rerum 

Laxet, et ingens pateat tellus, 

Tethysque novos detegat orbes, 

Nee sit terris ultima Thule. 



ACTUS III. 

NuTRix. Medea. 

NUTRIX. 

Alumna, celerem quo rapis tectis pedem ? sso 
Resiste, et iras comprime, ac retine impetum. 
Incerta qualis entheos cursus tulit, 
Cum jam recepto Mgenas insanit Deo 
Pindi nivalis vertice, aut Nysse jugis ; 
Talis recursat hue et hue motu efFero sss 

Furoris ore signa lymphati gerens. 
Flammata faeies spiritum ex alto citat. 
Proclamat : oeulos uberi fletu rigat : 
Renidet : omnis speeimen afFectus eapit ; 
Haeret, minatur, aestuat, queritur, gemit. 390 

duo pondus animi verget 1 ubi ponet minas ? 
Ubi se iste flaetus franget? Exundat furor. 
Non faeile seeum versat aut medium seelus. 
Se vineet : irse novimus veteres notas. 
Magnum aliquid instat, efFerum, immane, impium. 
Vultum furoris cerno. Di fallant metum ! 396 

MEDEA. 

Si quaeris, odio, misera, quern statuas modum, 



V. 388. Superij oeulos fletu rigat. Conj. Lips. 

V. 393. di,\xtinduit : aut ludit ; diut rude. Conj. Lips. 

2^^ 



IS MEDEA. III. 398. 

Imitare amorem. Regias egon' ut faces 
Inulta patiar ? segnis hie ibit dies 
Tan to petitus ambitu, tanto datus ? 400 

Dum terra coelum media libratum feret, 
Nitidusque certas mundus evolvet vices, 
Numerusque arenis deerit, et solem dies, 
Noctem sequentar astra ; dum siccas polus 
Versabit Arctos ; flumina in pontum cadent ; 405 
Nunquam mens cessabit in poenas furor, 
Crescetque semper, dues ferarum immanitas, 
Quae Scylla, quae Charybdis Ausouium mare 
Siculumque sorbens, quseque anhelantem premens 
Titana tantis iEtna fervescit minis ? 410 

Non rapidus amnis, non procellpsum mare, 
Pontusque Coro ssevus, aut vis ignium 
Adjuta flatu possit inhibere impetum 
Irasque nostras. Sternam et evertam omnia. 
Timuit Creontem, ac bella Thessalici ducis ? 415 
Amor timere neminem verus potest. 
Sed cesserit coactus, et dederit manus ; 
Adire certe, et conjugem extremo alloqui 
Sermone potuit: hoc quoque extimuit ferox? 
Laxare certe tempus immitis fugae 420 

Genero licebat. Liberis unus dies 
Datus duobus ! Non queror tempus breve : 
Multum patebit. Faciet, hie faciet dies, 
Quod nullus unquam taceat. Invadam Deos, 
Et cuncta quatiam. 

NUTRIX. 

Recipe turbatum malis, 425 
Hera, pectus : animum mitiga. 

MEDEA. 

Sola est quies, 
Mecum ruina cuncta si video obruta. 
Mecum omnia abeant. Trahere, cum pereas, libet. 



MEDEA. III. 429. 19 

NUTRIX. 

Quam multa sint timenda, si perstas, vide. 
Nemo potentes aggredi tutus potest. 430 



Iason. Medea. 

lASON. 

O dura fata semper, et sortem asperam, 
Cum saevit et cum parcit, ex sequo malam ! 
Remedia quoties invenit nobis Deus 
Periculis pejora ? Si vellem fidem 
Praestare meritis conjugis, leto fuit 435 

Caput ofFerendum : si mori nolim, fide 
Misero carendum est. Non timer vicit virum, 
Sed trepida pietas : quippe sequeretur necem 
Proles parentum. O sancta, si coelum incolis, 
Justitia, numen invoco ac tester tuum. 440 

Nati patrem vicere. duin ipsam quoque, 
Etsi ferox est corde, nee patiens jugi, 
Consulere natis malle quam thalamis reor. 
Constituit animus precibus iratam aggredi. 
Atque, ecce, viso raemet exsiluit, furit : 445 

Fert odia prse se ; totus in vultu est dolor. 

MEDEA. 

Fugimus, Iason, fiigimus. Hoc non est novum, 
Mutare sedes : causa fugiendi nova est. 
Pro te solebam fugere : discedo, exeo. 
Penatibus profugere quam cogis tuis, 450 

Ad quos remittis ? Phasin et Colchos petam, 
Patriumque regnum, quaeque fraternus cruor 
Perfudit arva ? quas peti terras jubes ? 
Q,ua3 maria monstras? Pontici fauces freti ? 
Per quas revexi nobiles regum manus, 455 

Adulterum secuta per Symplegadas ? 



20 MEDEA. III. 457. 

Parvamne lolcon, Thessala an Tempe petam ? 
Quascunque aperui tibi vias, clusi mihi. 
Quo me remittis 1 exsuli exsilium imperas, 
Nee das. Eatur : regius jussit gener : 4e 

Nihil recuse. Dira supplicia ingere ; 
Merui. Cruentis pellicem poenis premat 
Regalis ira ; vinculis oneret manus, 
Clusamque saxo noctis seternae obruat ; 
Minora meritis patiar. Ingratum caput ! 4e 

Revolvat animus igneos tauri halitus, 
Interque ssevos gentis indomitae metus, 
Armifero in arvo flammeum iEetas pecus, 
Hostisque subiti tela ; cum, jussu meo, 
Terrigena miles mutua ca3de occidit. 4i 

Adice expetita spolia Phrixei arietis, 
Somnoque jussum lumina ignoto dare 
Insomne monstrum ; traditum fratrem neci ; 
Et scelere in uno non semel factum scelus; 
Jussasque natas, fraude deceptas mea, 4^ 

Secare membra non revicturi senis. 
Aliena quaerens regna, deserui mea. 
Per spes tuorum liberum, et certum larem, 
Per victa monstra, per manus, pro te quibus 
Nunquam peperci, perque prseteritos metus, 4e 
Per coelum, et undas, conjugi testes mei, 
Miserere : redde supplici felix vicem. 
Ex opibus illis, quas procul raptas Scythse 
Usque a perustis Indiae populis petunt, 
Quas quia referta vix domus gazas capit, 4£ 

Ornamus auro nemora, nil exsul tuli, 
Nisi fratris artus. Hos quoque impendi tibi. 
Tibi patria cessit, tibi pater, frater, pudor. 
Hac dote nupsi : redde fugienti sua. 

V. 477. Aliena quserens regna .^ deserui mea. 



MEDEA. III. 490. 31 

lASON. 

Perimere cum te vellet infestus Creo, 490 

Lacrymis meis evictus exsilium dedit. 

MEDEA. 

Pcenam putabam ; munus, ut video, est faga. 

lASON. 

Dum licet abire, profuge, teque hinc eripe. 
Gravis ira regum est semper. 

MEDEA. 

Hoc suades mihi, 
Proestas Creusse : pellicem invisam amoves. 495 

lASON. 

Medea araores obicit ? 

MEDEA. 

Et caedem, et dolos. 

lASON. 

Objicere crimen quod potes tandem mihi ? 

MEDEA. 

Quodcunque feci. 

lASON. 

Restat hoc unum insuper, 
Tuis ut etiam sceleribus fiam nocens. 

MEDEA. 

Tua ilia, tua sunt ilia. Cui prodest scelus, soo 
Is fecit. Omnes conjugem infamem arguant ; 
Solus tuere, solus insontem voca. 
Tibi innocens sit, quisquis est pro te nocens. 

lASON. 

Ingrata vita est, cujus acceptse pudet. 

MEDEA. 

Retinenda non est, cujus acceptae pudet. soo 

lASON. 

Quin potius ira concitum pectus doma. 
Placare natis. 



22 MEDEA. III. 507. 

MEDEA, 

Abdico, ejuro, abnuo. " 
Meis Creusa liberis fratres dabit ? 

lASON. 

Regina natis exsulum, afflictis potens. 

MEDEA. 

Non veniat unquam tarn malus miseris dies, 510 
dai prole fceda misceat prolem inclitam, 
Phoebi nepotes Sisyphi nepotibus. 

lASON. 

Quid, misera, meque teque in exitium trahis ? 
Abscede, quaeso. 

MEDEA. 

Supplicem audivit Creo. 

lASON. 

Quid facere possim, eloquere. 

MEDEA. 

Pro me? vel scelus. 

lASON. 

Hinc rex, et iliinc. 

MEDEA. 

Est et his major metus, 516 
Medea. Nos confligere certemus, sine ; 
Sit pretium lason. 

I A SON. 

Cedo defessus malis. 
Et ipsa casus ssepe jam expertos lime. 

MEDEA. 

Fortuna semper omnis intra me stetit. 520 

lASON. 

Acastus instat ; propior est hostis Creo. 

MEDEA. 

Utrumque profuge. Nolo ut in socerum manus 
Armes ; nee, ut te caede cognata inquines, 
Medea cogit : innocens mecum fuge. 



MEDEA. III. 525. 23 

lASON. 

Et quis resistet, gemina si bella ingruant, 625 

Creo atque Acastus arma si jungant sua ? 

MEDEA. 

His adice Colchos, adjice JEeten ducem ; 
Scythas Pelasgis junge ; demersos dabo. 

lASON. 

Alta extimesco sceptra. 

MEDEA. 

Ne cupias, vide. 

lASON. 

Suspecta ne sint, longa colloquia amputa. 530 

MEDEA. 

Nunc summe toto Jupiter coelo tona ; 

Intende dextram ; vindices flammas para ; 

Omnemque ruptis nubibus mundum quate. 

Nee diligenti tela librentur manu : 

Vel me, vel istum : quisquis e nobis cadet, 535 

Nocens peribit : non potest in nos tuum 

Errare fulmen. 

IAS ox. 
Sana meditari incipe, 
Et placida fare. Si quid ex soceri domo 
Potest fugam levare, solamen pete. 

MEDEA. 

Contemnere animus regias, ut scis, opes 540 

Potest soletque : liberos tantum fugae 
Habere comites liceat, in quorum sinu 
Lacrimas profundam. Te novi nati manent. 

lASON. 

Parere precibus cupere me fateor tuis ; 

Pietas vetat : namque, istud ut possim pati, 545 

Non ipse memet cogat et rex et socer. 

Haec causa vitae est : hoc perusti pectoris 

Curis levamen. Spiritu citius queam 

Carere, membris, luce. 



24 MEDEA. III. 549. 

MEDEA. 

Sic natos am at? 
Bene est : tenetur. Vulneri patuit locus. 550 

Saprema certe liceat abeuntem loqui 
Mandata : liceat ultimum amplexum dare. 
Gratum est et illud. Voce jamextrema peto, 
Ne, si qua noster dubius efFudit dolor, 
Maneant in animo verba ; sed melior tibi 655 

Memoria nostri subeat : hsec irae data 
Obliterentur. 

lASON. 

Omnia ex animo expuli. 
Precorque, et ipsa fervidam ut mentem regas, 
Placideque tractes. Miserias lenit quies, 

MEDEA. 

Discessit ! Itan' est ? vadis oblitus mei, 560 

Et tot meorum facinorum ? excidimus tibi ? 
Nunquam excidemus. Hoc age ; omnes advoca 
Vires et artes. Fructus est scelerum tibi, 
Nullum scelus putare. Vix fraudi est locus ; 
Timemur ; hac aggredere, qua nemo potest 665 
Quidquam timere : perge : nunc aude, incipe, 
Quidquid potes, Medea, quidquid non potes. 
Tu, fida nutrix, socia moeroris mei, 
Variique casus, misera consilia adjuva. 
Est palla nobis, munus setheresB domus 670 

Decusque regni, pignus JEetae datum 
A Sole generis. Est et auro textili 
Monile fulgens ; quodque gemmarum nitor 
Distinguit aurum, quo solent cingi comae. 
Haec nostra nati dona nubenti ferant, 575 

Sed ante diris illita ac tincta artibus. 
Vocetur Hecate : sacra luctifica appara. 
Statuantur aras : flamma jam tectis sonet. 



MEDEA. III. 579. 25 



Chorus. 

Nulla vis flammse tumidique venti 

Tanta, nee teli metiienda torti, sso 

Quanta cum conjux viduata tsedis 

Ardet et odit. 
Non ubi hibernos nebulosus imbres 
Auster advexit, properatque torrens 
Ister, et junctos vetat esse pontes, 585 

Ac vagus errat. 
Non ubi impellit Rhodanus profundum; 
Aut ubi in rivos nivibus solutis 
Sole jam forti medioque vere 

Tabuit Haemus. 590 

Cebcus est ignis stimulatus ira ; 
Nee regi curat, patiturve frenos. 
Haud timet mortem : cupit ire in ipsos 

Obvius enses. 
Parcite, o Divi ! veniam precamur, 595 

Vivat ut tutus, mare qui subegit. 
Sed furit vinci dominus profundi 

Regna secunda. 
Ausus seternos agitare currus, 
Immemor metae juvenis paternge, 600 

Q.UOS polo sparsit furiosus ignes^ 

Ipse recepit. 
Constitit nulli via nota magno. 
Vade, qua tutum populo priori : 
Rumpe nee sacro, violente, sancta eos 

Foedera mundi. 
duisquis audacis tetigit carinas 
Nobiles remos, nemorisque sacri 
Pelion densa spoliavit umbra ; 
Quisquis intravit scopulos vagantes, 610 

3 



26 MEDEA. III. 611. 

Et tot emensus pelagi labores 
Barbara funem religavit ora, 
Raptor extern! rediturus auri ; 
Exitu diro temerata ponti 

Jura piavit. eis 

Exigit poenas mare provocatum. 
Tiphys in primis, domitor profundi, 
Liquit indocto regimen magistro 
Litore externo procul a paternis 
Occidens regnis ; tumuloque vili 620 

Tectus ignotas jacet inter umbras. 
Aulis amissi memor inde regis 
Portubus lentis retinet carinas 

Stare querentes. 
Ille, vocali genitus Camoena, 625 

Cujus ad chordas modulante plectro 
Restitit torrens, siluere venti ; 
Cui suo cantu volucris relicto 
Adfuit tota comitante silva, 
Thracios sparsus jacuit per agros. 63o 

At caput tristi fluitavit Hebro. 
Contigit notam Styga Tartarumque 

Non rediturus. 
Stravit Alcides Aquilone natos : 
Patre Neptuno genitum necavit 635 

Sumere innumeras solitum figuras. 
Ipse post terrse pelagique pacem, 
Post feri Ditis patefacta regna 
Vivus ardenti recubans in CEta, 
Prsebuit ssevis sua membra flammis 64a 

Tabe consumtus gemini cruoris 

Munere nuptse. 
Stravit Ancaeum violentus ictu 
Setiger. Fratres, Meleagre, matris 
Impius mactas ; morerisque dextra 645 



MEDEA. III. 646. 27 

Matris iratae. Meruere cuncti. 

Morte quod crimen tener expiavit 

Herculi magno puer irrepertus, 

Raptus, heu ! tutas puer inter undas ? 

Ite nunc, fortes; perarate pontum 6o0 

Fonte timendo. 
Idmonem, quamvis bene fata nosset, 
Condidit serpens. Libycis arenis 
Omnibus verax, sibi falsus uni 
Concidit Mopsus, caruitque Thebis. 655 

Ille si vere cecinit fatura, 
Exsul errabit Thetidis maritus : 
Igne fallaci nociturus Argis 
Nauplius praeceps cadet in profundum : 
Patrioque pendet crimine poenas 660 

Fulmine et ponto moriens Oileus. 
Conjugis fatum redimens Pherei, 
Uxor, impendes animam marito. 
Ipse, qui praedam spoliumque jussit 
Aureum prima revehi carina, 665 

Ustus accenso Pelias aheno 
Arsit angustas vagus inter undas. 
Jam satis, Divi, mare vindicastis : 

Parcite jusso. 



ACTUS IV. 

NuTRIX. 

Pavet animus, horret : magna pernicies adest. 67o 
Immane quantum augescit, et semet dolor 
Accendit ipse, vimque praeteritam integrat. 
Vidi furentem, saepe et aggressam Deos, 
Coelam trahentem : majus his, majus parat 



28 MEDEA. IV. 675. 

Medea monstrum : namque ut attonito gradu 675 
Evasit, et penetrale funestum attigit, 
Totas opes efFadit ; et quidquid dia 
Etiam ipsa timuit, promit ; atque omnem explicat 
Turbam malorum : arcana, secreta, abdita. 
Et triste laeva comprecans sacrum manu eso 

Pestes vocat, quascunque ferventis creat 
Arena Libyae, quasque perpetua nive 
Taurus coercet frigore Arctoo rigens ; 
Et omne monstrum. Tracta magicis cantibus 
Squamifera latebris turba desertis adest. 685 

Hie sera serpens corpus immensum trahit, 
Trifidamque linguam exsertat ; et quaerens, quibus 
Mortifera veniat, carmine audito stupet, 
Tumidumque nodis corpus aggestis plicat, 
Cogitque in orbes. '^ Parva sunt," inquit, *^ mala, 
Et vile telum est, ima quod tellus creat : 69i 

Coelo petam venena. Jam nunc tempus est 
Aliquid movere fraude vulgari altius. 
Hue ille, vasti more torrentis jacens, 
Descendat anguis, cujus immensos dues 695 

Major minorque sentiunt nodes ferae ; 
Major Pelasgis apta, Sidoniis minor. 
Pressasque tandem solvat Ophiuchus manus, 
Virusque fundat. Adsit ad cantus meos 
Lacessere ausus gemina Python numina : too 

Et hydra, et omnis redeat Herculea manu 
Succisa serpens csede se reparans sua. 
Tu quoque relictis pervigil Colchis ades, 
Sopite primum cantibus serpens meis." 
Postquam evocavit omne serpentum genus, 705 
Congerit in unum frugis infaustse mala : 
Q/Uaecunque generat invius saxis Eryx ; 
Cluae fert opertis hieme perpetua jugis 
Sparsus cruore Caucasus Promethei ; 



MEDEA. IV. 710. 29 

Pharetraque pugnax Medus, aut Parthus levis ; 7io 

Et quis sagittas divites Arabes linunt ; 

Aut quos sub axe frigido succos legunt 

Lucis Suevi nobiles Hercyniis ; 

Q^uodcunque tellus vere iiidifico creat ; 

Aut rigida cum jam bruma decussit decus 715 

Nemorum, et nivali cuncta constrinxit gelu ; 

(iuodcunque gramen flore mortifero viret, 

Dirusve tortis succus in radicibus 

Causas nocendi gignit, attrectat manu. 

Haemonius illas contulit pestes Athos ; 720 

Has Pindus ingens : ilia Pangsei jugis 

Teneram cruenta falce deposuit comam ; 

Has aluit altum gurgitem Tigris premens ; 

Danubius illas ; has per arentes plagas 

Tepidis Hydaspes gemmifer currens aquis, 725 

Nomenque terris qui dedit Bsetis suis, 

Hesperia pulsans maria languenti vado : 

Heec passa ferrum est, dum parat Phoebus diem ; 

Illius alta nocte saccisus frutex : 

At hujus ungue secta cantato seges : 730 

Mortifera carpit gramina, ac serpentium 

Saniem exprimit ; miscetque et obscosnas aves, 

Moestique cor bubonis, et raucae strigis 

Exsecta vivae viscera. Hsec scelerum artifex 

Discreta ponit : his rapax vis ignium, 735 

His gelida pigri frigoris glacies inest. 

Addit venenis verba non istis minus 

Metuenda. Sonuit, ecce, vesano gradu, 

Canitque : mundus vocibus primis tremit. 

v. 710. Et quels sagittas divites Arabes linunt, 

Pharetraque pugnax Medus, aut Parthus levis. 

Conj. Gronov. 

3* 



30 MEDEA. IV. 740. 



Medea. 

Comprecor valgus silentum, vosque ferales Deos, 
Et Chaos coecum, atque opacam Ditis umbrosi 

domum, 741 

Tartar! ripis ligatos squalidse Mortis specus, 
Suppliciis, anima3, remissis currite ad thalamos 

novos. 
Rota resistat membra torquens; tangat Ixion 

humum. 
Tantalus securus undas hauriat Pirenidas. 745 
Gravior Tityi poena sedeat conjugis socero mei : 
Lubricus per saxa retro Sisyphum volvat lapis. 
Vos quoque, urnis quas foratis irritus ludit labor, 
Danaides, coite ; vestras hie dies quaerit manus. 
Nunc meis vocata sacris noctium sidus veni, 750 
Pessimos induta vultus, fronte non una minax. 

Tibi more gentis vinculo solvens comam 
Secreta nudo nemora lustravi pede. 
Et evocavi nubibus siccis aquas ; 
Egique ad imum maria, et Oceanus graves 755 
Interius undas aestibus victis dedit : 
Pariterque mundus lege confusa setheris 
Et solem et astra vidit ; et vetitum mare 
Tetigistis, Ursse. Temporum flexi vices ; 
iEstiva tellus floruit cantu meo ; 760 

Messem coacta vidit hibernam Ceres. 
Violenta Phasis vertit in fontem vada ; 
Et Ister in tot ora divisus truces 
Compressit undas, omnibus ripis piger. 
Sonuere fluctus : tumuit insanum mare 765 

Tacente vento. Nemoris antiqui domus 

V. 747 Sisyphum solvat lapis. Conj. Gronov. 



MEDEA. IV. 767. 31 

Amisit umbram vocis imperio mese : 
Die relicto Phoebus in medio stetit ; 
Hyadesque nostris cantibus motae labant. 
Adesse sacris tempus est, Phoebe, tuis. 770 

Tibi ha3c cruenta serta texuntur manu, 

Novena quae serpens ligat : 
Tibi hsec, Typhoeus membra quae discors tulit, 

dui regna concussit Jovis. 
Vectoris istic perfidi sanguis inest, 775 

duem Nessus exspirans dedit. 
CEtaeus isto cinere defecit rogus, 

Qui virus Herculeum bibit, 
Piae sororis, impise matris facem 

Uhricis Althaeae vides. 780 

Reliquit istas invio plumas specu 

Harpyia, dum Zeten fugit. 
His adice pennas sauciae Stymphalidos, 

Lernaea passae spicula. 
Sonuistis al al : tripod as agnosco meos 785 

Favente commotos Dea. 
Video Trivise currus agiles, 
Non quos pleno lucida vultu 
Pernox agitat ; sed quos facie 
Lurida moesta, cum Thessalicis 790 

Vexata minis coelum freno 
Propiore legit. Sic face tristem 
Pallida lucem funde per auras ; 
Horrore novo terre populos ; 
Inque auxilium, Dictynna, tuum 795 

Pretiosa sonent sera Corinthi. 
Tibi sanguineo caespite sacrum 
Solemne damus : tibi de medio 
Rapta sepulchro fax nocturnos 
Sustulit ignes : tibi mota caput 8OO 

Flexa voces cervice dedi : 



32 MEDEA. IV. 802. 

Tibi funereo de more jacens 

Passes cingit vitta capillos : 

Tibi jactatur tristis Stygia 

Ramus ab iinda : tibi nudato 805 

Pectore Msenas sacro feriam 

Brachia cultro. 

Manet noster sanguis ad aras. 

Assuesce, manus, stringere ferrum, 

Carosque pati posse cruores. sio 

Sacrum laticem percussa dedi. 

Quod si nimium sgepe vocari 

duereris, votis ignosce, precor. 

Causa vocandi, Persei, tuos 

Ssepius arcus una atque eadem 8i5 

Semper lason. Tu nunc vestes 

Tinge Creusae, quas cum primum 

Sumserit, imas urat serpens 

Flarama medullas. Ignis fulvo 

Clusus in auro latet obscurus ; 820 

Quem mihi, coeli qui furta luit 

Viscere feto, dedit, et docuit 

Condere vires arte Prometheus, 

Dedit et tenui sulfure tectos 

Mulciber ignes : et vivacis 825 

Fulwra flammse de cognato 

Phaethonte tuli. Habeo mediae 

Dona Chimcerse. 

Habeo flammas usto tauri 

Gutture raptas ; quas permixto sso 

Felle Medusae tacitum jussi 

Servare malum. 

Adde venenis stimulos, Hecate; 

Donisque meis semina flammae 

Condita serva ; fallant visus, 835 

Tactusque ferant. Meet in pectus 



MEDEA. IV. 837. 33 

Venasque calor : stillent artus, 

Ossaque fumeiit ; vincatque suas 

Flagrante coma nova nupta faces. 

Vota tenentar ; ter latratus S40 

Audax Hecate dedit, et sacros 

Edidit ignes face iuctifera. 

Peracta vis est omnis : hue natos voca, 
Pretiosa per quos dona nubenti feras. 
Ite, ite, nati, matris infaustag genus : 645 

Placate vobis munere et multa prece 
Dominam et novercam. Vadite, et celeresdomum 
Referte gressus, ultimo amplexu ut fruar. 



Chorus. 

Cluonam cruenta Msenas 

Praeceps amore ssevo ^o 

Rapitur? quod impotenti 

Facinus parat furore? 

Vultus citatus ira 

Riget ; et caput feroci 

Quatiens superba motu sss 

Regi minatur ultro. 

Quis credat exsulantem ? 

Flagrant gendd rubentes ; 

Pallor fugat ruborem : 

Nullum vagante forma S60 

Servat diu colorem. 

Hue fert pedes et illuc, 

Ut tigris orba natis 

Cursu furente lustrat 

Gangeticum nemus ; sic ses 

Frenare nescit iras 

Medea, non amores. 



34 MEDEA. IV. 8G8. 

Nunc ira amorque causam 

Junxere : quid sequitur? 

Quando efFeret Pelasgis stc 

Nefanda Colchis arvis 

Gressum ; metuque solvet 

Regnum simulque reges ? 

Nunc, PhcBbe, rnitte currus 

Nullo morante loro. 875 

Nox condat alma lucem : 

Mergat diem timendum 

Dux noctis Hesperugo. 



ACTUS V. 

NuNTius. Chorus. Nutrix. Medea. Iason. 

NUNTIUS. 

Periere cuncta : concidit regni status. 

Nata atque genitor cinere permixto jacent. 880 

CHORUS. 

dua fraude capti ? 

NUTRIX. 

Qua Solent reges capi ; 
Donis. 

CHORUS. 

In illis esse quis potuit dolus ? 

NUNTIUS. 

Et ipse miror ; vixque jam facto malo 
Potuisse fieri credo. 

CHORUS. 

Quis cladis modus? 

NUNTIUS. 

Avidus per omnem regive partem furit, sss 

Ut jussus, ignis : jam domus tota occidit ; 



MEDEA. V. 887. 35 

Urbi timetur. 

CHORUS. 

Unda flammas opprimat. 

NUNTIUS. 

Et hoc in ista clade mirandum accidit; 

Alit unda flammas ; quoque prohibetur magis, 

Magis ardet ignis. Ipsa prsesidia occupat. 890 

NUTRIX. 

EfFer citatum sede Pelopea gradum, 
Medea : praeceps quaslibet terras pete. 

MEDEA. 

Egon' ut recedam ? Si profugissem prius, 

Ad hoc redirem. Nuptias specto novas. 

duid, anime, cessas ? sequere felicem impetum. 

Pars uitionis ista, qua gaudes, quota est ! 896 

Amas adhuc, fariosa, si satis est tibi 

Coelebs lason. Quaere poenarum genus 

Hand usitatum : jamque sic temet para. 

Fas omne cedat : abeat expulsus pudor. 900 

Vindicta levis est, quam ferunt purae manus. 

Incumbe in iras, teque languentem excita ; 

Penitusque veteres pectore ex imo impetus 

Violentus hauri. Quidquid admissum est adhuc, 

Pietas vocetur. Hoc age : et faxo, sciant, 905 

Quamlevia fuerint, quamque vulgaris notae, 

duse commodavi scelera. Prolusit dolor 

Per ista noster : quid manus poterant rudes 

Audere magnum ? quid puellaris furor? 

Medea nunc sum : crevit ingenium malis. 910 

Juvat, juvat rapuisse fraternum caput ; 

Artus juvat secuisse, et arcano patrem 

Spoliasse sacro. Juvat in exitium senis 

Armasse natas. duaere materiam, dolor : 

Ad omne facinus non rudem dextram afleres. 9i5 

duo te igitur, ira, mittis 1 aut quae perfido 



36 MEDEA. V. 917. 

Intendis hosti tela ? Nescio quid ferox 

Decrevit animus intus, et nonduin sibi 

Audet fateri. Stulta properavi nimis. 

Ex pellice utinam liberos hostis meus 92« 

Aliquos haberet ! duidquid ex illo tuum est, 

Creusa peperit : placuit hoc poence genus, 

Meritoque placuit. Ultimum agnosco scelus. 

Anime, parandum est. Liberi quondam raei, 

Vos pro paternis sceleribus pcenas date. 925 

Cor pepulit horror : membra torpescunt gelu, 

Pectusque tremuit. Ira discessit loco : 

Materque tota conjuge expulsa redit. 

Egon' ut meorum liberum ac prolis meae 

Fundam cruorem? melius, ah demens furor I 930 

Incognitum istud facinus ac dirum nefas 

A me quoque absit. Quod scelus miseri luent? 

Scelus est lason genitor, et majus scelus 

Medea mater. Occidant : non sunt mei. 

Pereant 1 mei sunt : crimine et culpa carent. 935 

Sunt innocentes : fateor : et frater fuit. 

Cluid, anime, titubas? ora quid lachrimaerigant? 

Variamque nunc hue ira, nunc illuc amor 

Diducit ? Anceps eestus incertam rapit. 

Ut sseva rapidi bella cum venti gerunt, 940 

Utrimque fiuctus maria discordes agunt, 

Dubiumque pelagus fervet ; baud aliter meum 

Cor fluctuatur : ira pietatem fugat, 

Iramque pietas. Cede pietati, dolor. 

Hue, cara proles, unicum afflictaB domus 945 

Sol amen, hue vos ferte, et infuses mihi 

Conjungite artus. Habeat incolumes pater, 

Dum et mater habeat. Urget exsilium ac fuga. 

Jam jam meo rapientur avulsi e sinu 

Flentes, gementes. Osculis pereant patris ; 950 

Periere matris. Rursus increscit dolor, 



MEDEA. V. 952. ^i 

Et fervet odium : repetit invitam manum 
Antiqua Erinnys. Ira, qua ducis, sequor. 
Utinam superbse turba Tantalidos meo 
Exisset utero, bisque septenos parens 955 

Natos tulissem ! sterilis in poenas fui. 
Fratri patrique quod sat est, peperi duos. 
Quonam ista tendit turba Furiarum impotens ? 
Quem qugerit ? aut quo flamineos ictus parat ? 
Aut cui cruentas agmen infernum faces 960 

Intentat ? Ingens anguis excusso sonat 
Tortus flagello. Quem trabe infesta petit 
Megaera ? cujus umbra dispersis venit 
Incerta membris ? Frater est ! pcenas petit ! 
Dabimus. Sed omnes fige luminibus faces : 965 
Lania, perure : pectus en furiis patet. 
Discedere a me, frater, ultrices Deas, 
Manesque ad imos ire securas jube : 
Mihi me relinque, et utere hac, frater, manu, 
Quae strinxit ensem : victima Manes tuos 970 

Placemus ista. Quid repens affert sonus? 
Parantur arma, meque in exitium petunt. 
Excelsa nostras tecta conscendam domus 
Caede inchoata. Perge tu mecum comes, 
Tuum quoque ipsa corpus hinc mecum aveham. 
Nunc hoc age, anime. Non in occulto tibi est 970 
Perdenda virtus : approba populo manum. 

lASON. 

Quicunque regum cladibus fidus doles, 
Concurre, ut ipsam sceleris auctorem horridi 
Capiamus. Hue, hue, fortis, armigeri, cohors, 980 
Conferte tela : vertite ex imo domum. 

MEDEA. 

Jam jam recepi sceptra, germanum, patrem ; 
Spoliumque Colchi pecudis auratae tenent, 
Rediere regna : rapta virginitas redit. 
4 



38 MEDEA. V. 985. 

O placida tandem numina ! O festum diem ! 985 

nuptialem! Vade. Perfectum est scelus ; 
Vindicta nondum : perage, durn faciunt manus. 
Quid nunc nioraris, anime ? quid dubitas ? potes. 
Jam cecidit ira : poenitet: facti pudet. 

Quid, misera, feci? Misera, poeniteat licet, 990 
Feci. Voluptas magna me invitam subit: 
Et ecce crescit. Deerat hoc unum mihi, 
Spectator ipse. Nil adhuc factum reor : 
Quidquid sine isto fecimus sceleris, perit. 

lASON. 

En ipsa tecti parte praecipiti imminet. 996 

Hue rapiat ignes aliquis, ut flammis cadat 
Suis perusta. 

MEDEA. 

Congere extremum tuis 
Natis, lason, funus, actumulum strue. 
Conjux socerque justa jam functis habent 
A me sepulti. Natus hie fatum tulit ; looo 

Hie, te vidente, dabitur exitio pari. 

lASON. 

Per numen omne, perque communes fugas, 
Torosque, quos non nostra violavit fides, 
Jam parce nato. Si quod est crimen, meum est : 
Me dede morti ; noxium macta caput. lOOs 

MEDEA. 

Hac, qua recusas, qua doles, ferrum exigam. 

1 nunc, superbe ! virginurn thalamos pete ; 
Relinque matres. 

lASON. 

Uniis est poenae satis. 

MEDEA. 

Si posset una ccede satiari manus, 

Nullam petisset. Ut duos perimam tamen, loio 

Nimium est dolori Humerus angustus meo. 



MEDEA. V. 1012. 39 

In matre si quod pignus etiamnum latet, 
Scrutabor ense viscera, et ferro extraharn. 

lASON. 

Jam perage coeptum facinus, baud ultra precor ; 
Moramque saltern suppliciis dona meis. lois 

MEDEA. 

Perfruere lento scelere ; ne propera, dolor. 
Meus dies est: tempore accepto utimur. 

lASON. 

Infesta memet perime. 

MEDEA. 

Misereri jubes. 
Bene est ; peractum est. Plura non habui, dolor, 
duae libi litarem. Lumina hue turaida alleva, 
Ingrate lason. Conjugem agnoscis tuam? 1021 
Sic fugere soleo. Patuit in coelum via. 
Squamosa gemini colla serpentes jugo 
Submissa praebent. Recipe jam natos parens. 
Ego inter auras aliti curru vehar. 1025 

IAS ON. 

Per alta vade spatia sublimi aetheris : 
Testare nullos esse, qua veheris, Deos. 



NOTES 



4* 



NOTES 



ACT I. — Scene L 

Verse 

1. Di conjugates'] the deities presiding over the in- 
stitution of marriage, Jupiter and Juno. 

2. Lucina] from lux^ « shining, affording light ;' then 
* bringing to light, ushering into life ;' an epithet of Ju- 
no and Diana. qucEque] Minerva. 

3. Tiphyri] Tiphys was the pilot of the Argonauts. 

5. Titan] here the name of Sol, the son of Hyperion. 
■ dividens} Hor. Carm. i. 15, 15. 

6. Taciiis sacris] rites performed in the night, partic- 
ularly those of sorcery. 

7. Hecate triformis] This goddess is called triformis, 
either because she is represented with three heads, that 
of a horse, a dog, and a swine ; or because she is the same 
who is sometimes called Proserpine and Diana ; or on 
account of her various manifestations of power. Hor. 

Carm. iii. 22, 4. quosque juravit mihi Deos lason] 

Ovid. Metam. vii. 94, the Sun and Hecate. Ovid. 
Heroid. xii.78-80. 

9. chaos] not the state of the world before its organ- 
ization, but, in general, a confused, dark condition. 

10. Manesque impios] merciless ; Hor. Epod. 5,13. 



44 NOTES. 

12. Meliore] Pluto kept better faith towards Proser- 
pine, than Jason towards Medea. 

16. thalamis] is the dative governed by stetistiSj instead 
of adstitistis. 

19. Mihi 'pejus aliquid^ quod] Some supply date', 
* Suggest to me something worse, which I may pray 
for : ' others, est; ^ I have, I know something worse.' Gro- 
novius would change mihi into me ; * Grant something 
worse than I am.' According to the first and third ex- 
planations, Medea must pause, before she continues Vivat. 

24. similes patri] Moral similitude is meant, although 
the dative is used. 

26. Peperi} ' I have children ; my wish is fulfilled.' 
Medea thinks of her children as yet only as resembling 
their parents in their vices; but unconsciously she 
presents them to the reader as the instruments and vic- 
tims of her future cruel revenge. 

27. manihv^ excutiam faces} refers to the marriage 
ceremony. 

28. Cceloque lucem} int. deducam. Virg. Eel. viii. 
69. ; Hor. Epod. v. 46 ; xvii. 5. refer to her magic 

power. nostri sator Sol generis] Sol, the father of 

^etes, and grandfather of Medea. Therefore 

32. patriis] i. e. avitis. 

36. maria committet duo] unite the Ionian and ^g©- 
an seas, separated by the isthmus of Corinth. 

37. thalamo feram] for infer am. 

43. Et inhospitalem Caucasum mente indue] for et in- 
kospitalis Caucasi mentem indue. 

47. vagum Funus per artus] An allusion to the death 
of her brother Absyrtus. 

55. A manuscript of Lipsius has Quce scelere pacta est, 
scelere rump etur fides, Domus, implying marriage and 
domestic life, is more expressive than the more general 
and vague word fides. 



NOTES. 45 

Chorus, 

56. regurri] Not only kings, but royal personages. 

58. populis] poetically for populo. 

59. Tonantibus] i. e. Jovi et Junoni, Farnabius seems 
to understand Jupiter alone, and takes Lucina as signify- 
ing Juno. Not to say any thing of this use of the plural, 
Diana would thus not be mentioned, an omission by no 
means probable. 

63. Martis qucs cohibet manus] Peace. 

65. copiami Plenty is represented as an attribute of 
Peace ; it is generally mentioned as a distinct deity. 
Hor. Carm. Saec. 60. 

67. Et tu\ i. e. Hymenaeus, the god of marriage. Ac- 
cording to some, he was the son of one of the muses, 
Urania, or Calliope j according to others, of Bacchus and 
Venus. Seneca adopts the latter opinion. See v. 110. 

71. Ettu\ Venus. 

73. nurus] for sponscB. 

77 - 79. Description of Lacedaemon, and the education 
of its females. 

80. Aonius latex] Farnabius takes this to be the foun- 
tain Dirce, at Thebes. It might also refer to the foun- 
tain Aganippe, and signify not only Thebes, but all Boe- 
otia. 

84. Proles fulminis improbi] Bacchus, whose mother, 
Semele, was destroyed by the lightning of Jupiter. 

92. Vir longe superet viros] A manuscript of Lipsius 
contained vir longe ut super at viros, which makes a bet- 
ter sense ; it having already been stated, that Jason sur- 
passes all others in beauty, a wish is added that Creusa 
may, in a similar manner, excel all women. 

95. cum sols'] i, e. simulac sol oritur, 

98. solidum Orbem circuitis cornihus aUigat] when the 
moon becomes full. 



46 NOTES. 

100. rubuit] the perfect either of rubeo, used as an 
aorist, or of rubesco^ ' has become red,' i. e. is red. 

103. Ereptus for erepte] Liv. i. 24 Pliasidos] Pha- 

sis for the more common form Phasias. 

105. JEoliaufi virginem'] iEolus, the grandson of Deu- 
calion, from whom Creon was descended. 

106. soceris volentibus] An allusion to the father of 
Medea, iEetes. 

107. jurgio] ^alternate songs.' 

109. justa] ' lawful, proper, permitted.' 

111. tempus erat] for est^ expressive of impatience. 
Hor. Carm. i. 37, 4. 

112. marcentilus] v. 69. 

114. Solvat] i. e. ezpediat^promat. 



ACT 11.-^ Scene L 

116. HymencEUs] * marriage-song.' 

120. rnerita'] assistance afforded to Jason. 

121. flammas] refers to the contest with the bulls 

breathing fire. Ov. Met. vii. 104. mare] The danger 

of being overtaken by ^etes was averted by the murder 
of Absyrtus, and scattering his limbs over the sea. Apoll. 
I. 9, 25. 

128. quod tuce manus] Medea speaks to herself. The 
fluctuations of her mind, agitated by the opposite feel- 
ings of love, sense of injury, and desire of revenge, are 
beautifully described. 

130. redeant] i. q. iterentur. Inclitum regni decus] 

the golden fleece, and the possession of the kingdom, 
which depended upon it. 

132. ingestum] thrown in the way of the father ; others 
read incertum, being scattered here and there, so as to 



NOTES. 47 

deceive the father concerning the direction of the 
flight; also incestum, descriptive of the crime. 

142. muneri meo] i. e. vitcB suce^ owing his life to her 
assistance. 

143. impotens] ' unable to govern himself.' The word 
is almost always used in this moral sense ; rarely as re- 
lating to physical strength. 

149. Malea] a promontory in Laconia, at least a hun- 
dred miles from Corinth. flectens moras} ' causing, by 

its sinuous shore, delay to navigation.' 

152. mutus] The codex of Lipsius has imrnotus, which 
is not so good as mutus. The nurse does not advise Me- 
dea to be insensible, but to conceal her feelings ; motuSy 
the reading of earlier editions, makes a very good sense, 
* although excited ' ; yet it is not so expressive as miitus. 

pertulit] uo^ia-reog, not with the force of a perfect. 

Hor. Carm. in. 2, 30. 

154. professa] with a passive sense. 

156. clepere] imitation of the old language. This 
word occurs generally in very old prose, as Cic. de Legg. 
II. 9; Liv. XXII. 10; and is one of those, which prove 
the close relationship of the Latin and Greek languages. 
The Greek is xXi-Traf, 

160. si locum, virtus habet] for cum I. v. h. virtus, 

' manliness, energy, resolution.' 

163. This line would not be a correct thought, if despe- 
ret were used in its common meaning, ' to despair, to have 
no hope'; it expresses the vague apprehension of evil, 
which is so discouraging ; he who has no reason to hope 
awaits misfortune, and endeavours to meet it. 

164. Miere Colchi] abiere for absunt. ' Your country- 
men are distant.' 

169. Sint licet terra edita] An allusion to the warriors 
springing up from the teeth of the dragon, sown by Ja- 
son. Ovid. Met. vii. 130. 



48 NOTES. 

ACT 11.-- Scene II, 

181. fraus] either signifies treacherous disposition, or, 
if this signification cannot be made out, the singular may- 
be considered as used for the plural. * Her past crimes 
are so well known, that we know what we have to ex- 
pect.' 

187. nostros affatus petit] i. q. me alloqui petit, 

190. Fade] spoken to a servant. 

191. jamdudum] ' immediately.' 

193. innocens] used ironically. 

194. cognosce] in its judicial meaning, * investigate.' 
197. Redeo] for rediturus sum, ' 1 am ready, willing to 

return.' 

201. Said ironically. Pelia for Pelias, on account 

of the metre. 

206. regiamea] ^ in the palace of my father;' ' I know 
this from my own experience, being the daughter of a 
king,' quondam nobili fulsi patre, v. 209. 

210. deduxi genus] '■ I am sprung,' i. q. ortasum, 

212. Pontus Scythicus] the Pontus Euxinus. a teV' 

go] towards the west. 

213. This phenomenon is mentioned in Strabo, Lib. i. 
3, pages 49, 50, where an explanation by Strato, a natu- 
ral philosopher, is given. 

214. exterret] is preferable to exercet, the former ex- 
pressing the military, fierce disposition of the Amazons ; 
the latter implying that they were cultivators of the soil. 

218. proci] for procus ; it refers to Jason alone, as 
appears from qui nunc petuntur. 

221. Confide regnis] ironically. 

222. Hoc] This is the virtue of generosity, rather than 
the power of exercising it ; for the latter may be lost. 

226. Decus illud ingens, etc] the Argonauts. 
231. Satique Borea] Calais and Zetes. 



NOTES. 4g 

232. lumine immisso} According to the ancient notion^ 
the rays of light proceeded from the eye. 

233. Miny(B] a name of the Argonauts, because many 
of them were descendants of Minyas, king of Thessaly. 

234. Hunc nulli imputo] ' For him I do not consider you 
under obligations to me.' Juv. v. 14. 

238. Virgini pJaceat, ete.] ^ Let the virgin prefer modes- 
ty, and all Greece will be ruined ;' as if the case had not 
yet happened. It is a more lively expression, than Si 
virgini placuisset pudor, omnis Pdasga tellus ruisset. 

244. Quodcunque prcBmium] i. e. Jason. 

257. Acastus] son of Pelias, whose death Medea had 
caused, with the assistance of his infatuated daughters. 
Ovid. Met. vii. 297 - 350. 

268. mcmoria] for ratio. 

276. illi Pelia jacet] i.e illi Pelia occidit, * on his ac- 
count, for his advantage, Pelias was murdered.' 

279. 71071 est meurri] ' all I did, was not done for my 
sake.' 

Chorus, 

308. JVtmium gracili limite ducto.'] The same idea is 
expressed Juv. xii. 57 : / nunc^ et ventis animam com- 
mitte dolato Confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus Qua- 
tuor aut septemj si sit latissima tmda. 

313 OlenicB caprcB] the goat of Amalthea, by whom 
Jupiter was suckled ; as a constellatioUj it was believed 
to cause rain. 

315. tardus Bootes] a common epithet of this constel- 
lation ; Juv. v. 23 : tempore, quo se Frigida circumagunt 
pigri sarraca Bootee. 

318. Tiphys] See v. 3. 

321. prolato pede] a rope by which the corner of the 
sail is drawn to one side, ^ the sheet.' 
5 



50 NOTES. 

323. medio malo] ' half-mast.' 

326. Jlvidus"] ' desirous of despatch/ 

327. rubicunda] the effect of the sun. 

335 BpMe dissepti mundi] Hor. Carm i. 3, 21, 22. 

339. iUa] the ship of the Argonauts. 

341. duo mantes] the Sympiegades, rocks which were 
fabled to be movable. 

345, 7nare deprensum] * the sea caught between,' and 
forced up by the closing rocks. The MS. of Lipsius ha» 
depressum, which is not so descriptive. 

350. Sicull virgo Felori] Scylla. 

352. solvit hiatus] i. q. aperit or a. 

354. malo] i. q. monstro, prodigio. 

355. dircB pestcs] the Sirens. cum m^ulcereni] Al- 
though they assuaged the sea, the skill of Orpheus was 
superior ; that this is the idea, is indicated by the sub- 
junctive mulcerent. 

365. Non Palladia manu] The vessel of the Argonauts 
was built with the assistance and advice of Minerva. 

376. vincula laxet] ' will relax its bonds, will become 
passable' 

377. et ingens pateat tellus] An interesting prediction, 
indeed. 

ACT ill. — Scene L 

383. recepto Deo} Hor. Carm. ii. 19, 6; iii. 25, 1. 

393. medium] Of the various readings, none is better 
than that of the Florentine codex ; the emendation of 
Lipsius, rude J is very good, expressing that whatever 
Medea will do, will prove her an adept. 

399. dies] refers to the respite granted to her by Creon. 
segnis] ' unimproved through sloth ' 

415, Timuit] int. Jason. Thessalici ducis] Acasti. 

See V. 257. 



NOTES. 51 

419. hoc quoque extimuit ferox] ironical. 

423. Multum patebit] ' it will extend far ;' it will be a 
long time. 

424. Inradavi Decs'] a stronger term than adibo Deos \ 
* I will address the Gods,' * I will importune the Gods.* 

428. Trahere] Supply tecum. 

ACT III. — Scene II, 

435. meritis conjugis] for conjugi de me bene meritce. 

436 si mori nolini] a nice distinction between the 
present nolim, and the preceding imperfect si vellem^ 
implying that he does not wish to preserve his faith at 
the expense of his life. 

447. Fugimus} for expellor. Fugere, in this respect, 
agrees with the Greek (ptvyetv^ as fuga, * banishment/ 
with (pvyr^t 

456. Adulteruml either for amatorem or raptorem, hav- 
ing carried off Medea ; or with reference to his deserting 
her for Creusa. 

457. lolcon'] lolcos, the native town of Jason in Thes- 
saly, and the port from which the Argonauts sailed. 

466. igneos tauri halitusl See Ovid. Met. vii. 104. 

469. Hostisque subiti] the warriors springing up after 
the sowing of the serpent's teeth. See Ovid. Met. vii. 
130. 

471. spolia Phryxei arietis] the golden fleece of the 
ram, on which Phryxus, with his sister Helle, escaped 
from the persecution of their stepmother Ino. Having 
crossed the sea where Helle perished (Hellespontus), 
and reached Colchis, he sacrificed the ram, and suspend- 
ed the fleece on a tree, where it was guarded as a kind 
of palladium, by a dragon, until Jason obtained posses- 
sion of it. 



52 NOTES. 

473. Insomne monstrum] See Ovid. Met. vii. 149. 

474. Et scelere in uno non semel factum scelus] the one 
crime was the cause of many. 

475. natas deceptas] the daughters of Pelias, who, at 
the instance of Medea, killed their own father. See 
Ovid. Met. vii. 297. 

477. Aliena qucerens regno] If taken as a question, the 
sense is good; implying that love, and not ambition in- 
fluenced her. 

481. conjugi testes mei] allusion to the nuptials of 
Jason and Medea, celebrated upon the sea. 

495. PrcBstas Creusce} « In giving me this advice, you 
do a kindness to Creusa.' 

496. Medea amoves ohicit P] too severe a taunt. 
502. Solus tuere] a most touching appeal. 
507. natisl dativus commodi. 

512. Sisyphi nepotibus'] Sisyphus, the ancestor of Cre- 
on and Creusa.* 

616. Hinc rex, etillinc] Creon and Acastus. 

520. Fortuna stetW] Gronovius explains intra 

mestetit, * did not extend so far as I, or my power,' * I am 
more powerful than fortune ;' Farnabius,* I have always 
been the maker of my own fortune.' The adjective omnis 
favors the latter explanation. 

528. Scythas] i. e. Colchos. 

534. diligenti] * discriminating.' 

537. Sana] the nomin. sing., as well a.s placida. 

546. et rex et socer] ' Creon, whether he employs his 
power as king, or his influence as father-in-law.' 

549. Sic natos locus'] spoken aside. 

550. tenetur] i. q. nonfugit, ' it has not escaped notice,* 
< it has been observed.' 

564. Nullum scelus putare] for nihil scelus putare, 
573. quodque comcB] Doubts have been raised, 



NOTES. 53 

whether in these words a third article is described, or 
whether they are a further description of the second, 
monile. Gronovius, influenced by Eurip. Med. 782, 
XsTTov rt ^i-TTkoy kou ^Xoxcv x-^vyr.kitTov, is of the latter 
opinion, while Delrius and others, supported, as I think, 
by the words of the passage, are of the former. 



Chorus. 

581. viduata tcBdis] i. q. repudiata. 
591. ignis] i. q. amor ; as in v. 582, ardet for amat. 
598. Regna secunda] the second dominion, that of 
Jupiter being the first, that of Pluto, the third. 
600. mete] pars pro toto, for curriculi, 
606. Fobdera mundi'] See v. 335. 

609. Pelion] accusative. 

610. scopulos vagantes] i. e. Symplegades. See v. 341. 
618. indocto magistro] Erginus, Apollon. i. 9, 16, and 

Val. Flacc. 

623. retinet] An allusion to the delay experienced by 
the Greeks at the commencement of the Trojan expedi- 
tion. 

628. volucris] for avis. 

632. notam Styga] An allusion to the recovery of 
Eurydice from the infernal regions. 

634. Aquilone natosl See v. 231. 

635. Neptuno genitum] Periclymenus. Seneca con- 
founds the son of Neptune with the son of Neleus, who 
received from his father the power of changing his body. 
See Apollod. ii. 7, 3 : TLi^tKXvfAivov xrimi n-ov oiXxi/tAurarof 

641. gemini cruoris] Farnabius explains geminus as the 
blood of the Hydra and Nessus, upon what authority, I 

5* 



54 NOTES. 

am unable to say ; geminus refers to the double form 
of the Centaur, Nessus. 
642. nupt(B] Dejanira. 

644. Setiger] sc. aper, the Calydonian boar. > 

fratres matris mactas] Plexippus and Toxeus ; see Ovid. 
Met. VIII. 439 and 444. 

645. morerisque dextra matris'] Althasa, to avenge the 
death of her brothers, threw a firebrand, upon which the 
life of her son Meleager depended, into the fire. See 
Ovid. Met. viii. 512-524. 

648. puer} Hylas. 

651. Fonte timendo] If a spring is to be feared, how 
much more the sea. 

653. Condidit serpens] It is impossible to make any 
sense of this. It is known from Apollodorus, Hyginus, 
and others, that Idmon was killed by a boar during the 
expedition. We might, perhaps, read : condidit tellus j 
or contudit verres. 

657. Thetidis maritus] Peleus. 

659. JVaiiplius] king of Euboea, in order to avenge 
the death of his son Palamedes, caused the shipwreck of 
the Greeks, returning from Troy ; but, on learning that 
Ulysses had escaped, threw himself into the sea. 

660. Patrio crimine] Ajax, the son of Oileus, is here 
represented as suffering for the presumption of his fa- 
ther in joining the expedition of the Argonauts, and not 
for his own crime. 

661. Oileus] for Ajax Oilei. 

662. Conjugis Pherei] Admetns, husband of Alcestis, 
son-in-law of Pelias, king of PhersB, in Thessaly. 

ACT IV. — Scene I. 

680. l(Bva manu] indicative of the purpose and the dei- 
ty applied to. 



NOTES. 55 

685. Squamifera turbo] i. e. serpentes. 

695. anguis] the constellation. du(B major minor- 

que feres'] the larger and smaller bear. sentiuni] ex- 
pressing the relative situation of the three constellations. 

698. Ophiuchus] (o^iou^^os)^ the Latin Serpentarius, 
a constellation. 

700. Python] a huge serpent, slain by Apollo. 

703. Colchis serpens sopite cantibus meis] See Ovid. 
Met VII. 155. 

707. Eryx] a mountain in Sicily. -■ saxis] ablat. 

710. Gronovius proposes to place v. 711 before v. 710 ; 
a very good alteration. 

726. JVomen] Hispania Baetica, or Baeturia. 

727. languenti vado] The river Bsetis (Guadalquivir) 
forms, before its entrance into the sea, a shallow bay. 

732. obsccenas aves] foreboding ill. 

738. sonuit vesano gradu] sonare gradu. Virg. Georg. 
III. 191. 

ACT IV. — Scene 11. 

740. vulgus silentum] silentum ace. sing, of silentus, 
rather than the genit. pi. of silens, for silentium, ' dumb 
shades.' 

745. undas Pirenidas] Pirene, a spring in Corinth, 
mentioned here, because Tantalus had been king of 
Corinth. 

746. Tityi] This virord, which is not in the Florentine 
codex, has been inserted by Gronovius for the sake of 
the metre. 

747. volvat] Gronovius justly objects to this exception 
made by Medea with regard to Sisyphus, and proposes 
to read solvat. Besides, if the punishment of Sisyphus 
is to continue as an exception, the contrast between 
his condition and that of the rest is not indicated 
by any qualifying conjunction, or adverb ; on the con- 
trary, the following line, which evidently expresses 



56 NOTES. 

a cessation of the usual labor of the Danaides, is intro^ 
duced by quoque, 

751. P essimos] ^ unpropitions.^ 

757. Pariter] According to Farnabius, nno eodemque 
tempore. The meaning eodem modo appears better ; the 
laws of the heavenly bodies being violated in the same 
manner as those of the sea. 

772. JYovena for noveni] referring to the number of ser- 
pents, or for novies^ referring to the w^indings of the ser- 
pent. 

773. membra] the hundred serpents growing from the 
shoulders of the giant. discors] i. q. hostilis. 

775. Vector is perjidi] i. e. Nessi. 

777. isto cinere defecit] ' is without,' ' has parted with.' 

(Etceus rogus'] the funeral pile on which Hercules 

was consumed. 

780. AlthcEce] see v. 645. 

784. Lerncea spicula] arrows, poisoned with the gore of 
the hydra. 

7S5. Sonuistis eu aJ] The Florent. MS. has ae, which 
Gronovius supposed to be intended for the Greek inter- 
jection alt. This opinion is certainly corroborated by Ov. 
Met. X. 21 5 : et ai ai Flos hahet inscriptum. The in- 
voked spirits are supposed to answer to the prayer of 
Medea. tripodas] for oraculum. 

791. freno Propiore] i. e. propius terrce, 

795. in auxilium tuum] To prevent the moon from 
being drawn down by incantations, a deafening noise 
was made by striking together brass vessels. Juv. vi. 
442 : jam nemo tubas ^ nemo cera fatiget ; Una laboranti 

poterit subcurrere lunce. Dictynna^ name of Diana, 

from ViKTvov, net. 

810. Caros cruores] An allusion, perhaps unconscious, 
to the murder of her children. 

814. Persei] Perseis or Hecate, being the daughter of 
Perses and Asteria. 



NOTES. 57 

822. Viscere feto] expressing the reproduction of the 
liver of Prometheus, whenever consumed by the eagle. 
825. Mulciber] name of Vulcanus, (mulceo a,nd f err um.) 
840. Vota tenentur] i. q. audiuntur. 

Chorus. 

865. Gangeticura] relating to Ganges. 

867. non amores] i. e. nescitfrenare amores. 

878. Hesperugo] (U'ri^os and eiya)) Compare Hor. 
Carm. iii. 6, 41 : sol amicum tempus agens, 

ACT v. — Scene L 

879. regni status] i. e. regia domus, Creon and his 
daughter. 

890. ipsa prcesidia occupat] The fire is communicated 
to what, under common circumstances, is a protection 
against it. 

895. impetum'] * onset.* 

904. Violentus] referring still to animCj v. 895. 

908. Per ista] i. e. ista (superiora) scelera tamquampro- 
lusio sunt doloris mei. 

913. senis] i. e. Felice, 

921. Quidquid ex illo tuum est] i. e. quotquot ex illo liberi 
tibi sunt. 

930. Tnelius'] int. consule, or consilium da. 

950. osculis] dative. 

952. repetit invitam manum antiqua Erinnys] antiqua^ 
who has impelled me already M^on former occasions. 

954. Tantalidos] Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus, and 
wife of Amphion. 

962. trabe infesta] See Here. Fur. 102 : atque luctifica 
manu Vastam rogo flagrante corripiat trabem. 



58 NOTES. 

964. Incerta] * causing uncertainty,' ^ not readily dis- 
cerned.' 

970. mctima Manes tuos Placemus ista] Here one of 
the children is killed by Medea. 

974. Perge tu] spoken to the other child. 

978. regum] Creon and Creusa. 

980. armigeri] vocative. 

986. Vade] addressed to herself. 

1003. quos non nostra violavit fides] Gronovius ob- 
jects strenuously to this non, as altogether inconsistent 
with the sense. But his objection seems unfounded. The 
idea to be expressed is : My deserting you was not an 
act of choice, and so far no violation of my fidelity. 

1006. ferrum exigam] i. q. vulnerabo, 

1018. Misereri jubes} After these words Medea kills 
the second child. 



METRES 



METRES 



The difFerence between Latin and Greek tragedy, with 
regard to form, appears most distinctly in the greater sim- 
plicity of the prosody of the former. This simplicity, how- 
ever, of the Romans proceeds by no means from a purer 
taste, or a desire of avoiding what they considered artifi- 
cial, but from the greater inflexibility of the Latin lan- 
guage. Horace, than whom no Latin poet knew better 
the power and capability of his language, bore strong 
testimony to this fact by confining himself to so few, 
and those the simplest, modifications of the many and 
complicated metres of the lyric poets of Greece. 

The kinds of verses which occur in the Medea are 
eleven : 

1. The lambicus trimeter acatalectus, 

2. lambicus dimeter acatalectus, 

3. lambicus dimeter catalectus, 

4. Asclepiadeus minor, 

5. Sapphicus minor, 

6. Trochaicus tetrameter catalectus, 

7. Anapaesticus tetrameter acatalectus, 

8. Anapaesticus dimeter acatalectus, 

9. Adonicus, or Dactylicus dimeter catalectus, 

10. Dactylicus hexameter catalectus, 

11. Glyconicus. 

6 



62 METRES. 

1. Versus lamhicus trimeter acatalectus. 

According to the usual rule, the tribrachys ( ^ J ^ ), 

the spondee ( J_), and its solutions, the dactyle and 

anapaest ( ^ v^, ^ w )> ^^Y ^® ^^^^ ^^ ^1^ P^^*- 

ce«, except the last, so that the iambus is constantly 
preserved in the last place alone. But this rule is 
modified by the practice of Seneca, at least in the Medea, 
in several respects : the spondee is never used in the 
second and fourth places, nor the dactyle and anapaest, 
the solutions of the spondee ; except the anapaest once 
in the second place, v. 670. The iambus is never 
used in the fifth place, except twice, v. 6 and 512. 

The following schedule exhibits these changes : 

_L o_L _-L w-i- L w_I 

W J- ( W _l) W v^ 



S./ -i- \J 



W^ •<-»««/ WW 

W w _ \ W W -L / W v-> _L V '-r JL 

Of the great number of modifications of which this 
verse is accordingly susceptible, some idea may be 
formed from the fact that there are nearly sixty in the 
Medea, which contains about seven hundred and twenty- 
five verses of this kind. By far the most common form is 

_w_/. w_L L w_L L. w J=L. 

which occurs more than two hundred times. Some oth- 
ers are 

JrL. . \j — _„ w w>-> w J!=L 

J=! „ w — w — w wJ!=L 

\^ ^^ — >^ — — — vj — . \^ -ii- 

_2=1 sj — — www— %^ 



METRES. 63 

which occur each between forty and sixty times. There 
are nearly twenty forms, each of which occurs once 
only in the whole tragedy. 

In the greater number of these iambic verses, the 
caesura is ^nv^yifUfAz^hs , in very few \(p^nfitfjt.i^yts . The 
iambic trimeter is generally used as a monocolon mo- 
nostrophon, that is, the same verse is repeated without 
the interposition of any other. A short passage, v. 772 
-785, is an exception, being dicolon distrophon, that is, 
two different verses, the Iambic trimeter and Iambic di- 
meter, being used alternately. 

The tribrachys and dactyle, which are substituted for 
the iambus, have of course the ictus on the second syl- 
lable (^ vi, w, _ c. V )• 

2. Versus lamhicus dimeter acatalectus. 

The general rules relating to Iambic verses apply to 
this. But of the many possible modifications, the fol~ 
lowing alone are found in the Medea : 

_y v^__ >^ J=L 

3. Versus Trochaicus tetrameter catalectus. 

For the pure trochees, various other feet may be sub- 
stituted. The tribrachys may be used in all places, 
the last excepted. In the second, fourth, and sixth, 
the spondee and its solutions, the anapaest and dactyle 
r > .j_ »^ w )» "^^y ^^^^ ^^^ place of the trochee. 

V'V.^W s^V->»-/ UWW wOw wW>^ v^wnJ 






w w 



64 METRES. 

The most frequent form in the Medea is 
J-v-, _L_ ±^ _L_ II -Lw -i-__ _L.w _ 
Some other modifications are 

The cassura occurs after the second dipodia, or fourth 
foot. In one passage, v. 746, the text is impure, and 
the metre violated. The readings of this line vary much, 
and the number of emendations and conjectures is con- 
siderable. It will be perceived that the following reading 
of the Florentine manuscript is inconsistent with the 
metre. 

Gravior poena sedeat conjugis socero mei : 

t/ Www w w >«/ w — — 

Another codex has a reading reconcilable with the 
metre : 

Graviorum poena sedeat conjugis socero mei. 

w w ,^ ^ w w ■u w 

These three kinds of verse, and the two kinds of ana- 
paestic verse described below (No. 7 and 8), occur in the 
dialogue of the play ; the remaining six, in the choruses. 

4. Versus Asclepiadeus minor. 

The regular form of this verse is 

_Lww — II ww-JL wJ=L 

and is to be found in the first chorus, with one ex- 
ception, V. 62, where, in the third place, a poeon 
quartus ( ^ ^^ ^ ) is used instead of a choriambus 



METRES. 65 

5. Versus Glyconicus. 
The 'regular form of this verse is 

and is observed without an exception. 

6. Versus Dactylicus hexameter catalectus. 
The rules of this verse are well known ; a spondee 
may be substituted in anj^ place, except the fifth. The 
cessura is mostly ^rsvS-jj^/^s^jjj, rarely l(pB-yifnius^^$. V. 113 
is a versus spondaicus, that is, a verse with a spondee in 
the fifth place. 

7. Versus Anapcesticus tetrameter acatalectus. 
Instead of an anapaest, a spondee, dactyle, or proceleus- 

maticus may be used ( f_ ^ ^ ). The Greek 

dramatic writers employ this verse in systems, conclud- 
ing each with a dimeter catalectus in syllabam, which 
is then called versus parcemiacus. Seneca never uses 
this conclusion, and thus impairs very much the effect 
of this metre. An anapaestic dimeter, which is occa- 
sionally interspersed, relieves somewhat the monotony. 
The proceleusmaticus, in the place of an anapaest, does 
not occur in the Medea ; but all the other changes men- 
tioned above, producing a great number of modifications, 
(about 25, a large number, considering that the verse is 
used only about 130 times). The verse occurs twice in 
its pure form : 

WW-/- ww_L. wv^_L ww-1- 
Some of the most frequent modifications are the follow- 
ing : 

iL ^ J. / / 



J ^ s^ L 



6* 





METRES. 


/_ 


/ 


/ 


ww_L sL^ ±L 



66 



There is one instance of this verse being used in a pas- 
sage which is not a part of a chorus ; the passage (v. 
787-842) is full of excitement, and this, no doubt, ac- 
counts for the choice of the metre. 

8. Versus Anapasticus dimeter acatalectus. 

This verse occurs a few times interspersed among 
the anapaestic tetrameters, described above. The only two 
forms of it in the Medea, are 



9. Versus Sapphicus minor. 

This verse is formed by Seneca very much as by Hor- 
ace ; neither of them consider the last syllable of the 
trochaic dipodia as doubtful. In one instance, v. 636, 
Seneca seems to have admitted the solution of the spon- 
dee into a dactyle. The usual form of this verse is 



In one instance, v. 660, the text is probably incorrect, 
and the metre violated. The text of the Florentine 
manuscript is 

Patrioque pendet crimine poenas. 

Another reading, 

Crimini pcsnas patrio pependit, 

complies with the metre ; but the structure of the whole 



METRES. 67 

sentence and the sense require a different tense. For 
this reason the emendation of Gronovius is the best 
expedient, who proposes to read 

Crimini pcenas patrio rependet. 



10. Versus Monicus. 

This kind of verse is used in connexion with the 
Sapphic. The stanzas formed of the two are of different 
length ; the first seven consist of three Sapphic and an 
Adonic verse ; the five following, of eight Sapphic and an 
Adonic; and the last, of seventeen Sapphic and one 
Adonic verse. The Adonic is a dactylicus dimeter 
catalectus, which admits of no change, 



11. Versus lamhicus dimeter catalectus. 

In this kind of verse Seneca has taken very little liber- 
ty. Two modifications only occur in a chorus of thirty 
lines : 



For the convenience and assistance of younger schol- 
ars, a list of all the metres is subjoined in the order in 
which they occur in the tragedy. 

Act I. V. 1 — 55. Vers. Iamb. trim, acat., 
Chor, 56 — 74. Vers. Asclep. min. 
75 — 92. Vers. Glycon. 



68 METRES. 

ChoT. V. 93 — 109. Vers. Asclep. min. 
110 — 115. Vers. Dact. hexam. 
Act II. V. 116 — 178. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 
179 _ 300. " " " *^ 
Chor, 301 — 316. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
317. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

318 — 327. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
328. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

329 — 371. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat, 
372. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

373 — 379. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
Act III. y. 380 — 490. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 
491 — 578. " " " " 
Chor. V. 579 — 581. Vers. Sapph. min. 

582 Vers. Adon. 

583 — 585. Vers. Sapph. min. 
586. Vers. Adon. 

587 — 589. Vers. Sapph. min. 

590. Vers. Adon. 

591 — 593. Vers. Sapph. min. 

594. Vers. Adon. 

595 _ 597. Vers. Sapph. min. 

598. Vers. Adon. 

599___601. Vers. Sapph. min, 

602. Vers. Adon. 

603 — 605. Vers. Sapph. min. 

606. Vers. Adon. 

607 — 614. Vers. Sapph. min. 

615. Vers. Adon. 

616 — 623. Vers. Sapph. min. 

624. Vers. Adon. 

625 — 632. Vers. Sapph. min. 

633. Vers. Adon. 

^34^641. Vers. Sapph. miiu 



METRES. 69 

642. Vers. Adon. 

643 — 650. Vers. Sapph. min. 
651. Vers. Adon. 

652 — 668. Vers. Sapph. min. 
669. Vers. Adon. 

Act IV. V. 670 — 739. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 

740 — 751. Vers. Troch. tetram. cat. 
752 — 770. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 
771 — 786. Vers. Iamb. trim, acat., and 

Vers. Iamb. dim. acat. alternate- 

787 — 806. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
807. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

808 — 827. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
828. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

829 — 831. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
832. Vers. Anapaest, dimet. acat. 

833 — 842. Vers. Anapaest, tetram. acat. 
843 — 848. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 
Chor. 849 — 878. Vers. Iamb. dim. cat. 
Act V. V. 879 — 1027. Vers. Iamb. trim. acat. 



CAMBRIDGE: 
CHARLES FOLSOM, 

riElINTSR TO THE UNITERSITY. 












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